Chennai Grand Masters 2025 marred by late-night fire, tournament postponed by a day

All players and members of the Chennai Grand Masters 2025 have been evacuated safely

The start of the much-anticipated Chennai Grand Masters 2025 was marred by a fire at the Hyatt Regency hotel late on Tuesday night, forcing organizers to postpone the tournament by a day. 

Fortunately, all players and staff members were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported.

The fire, believed to have been caused by an electrical fault on the ninth floor, broke out close to midnight. Thick smoke quickly spread through the building, making it difficult for guests to breathe. This prompted an immediate evacuation.

“Yes, there was a fire late last night and our teams rushed to the scene and extinguished it. There was no loss of life,” a fire and rescue officer was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Also Read: Top five Indian players to watch out for at Chennai Grand Masters 2025

However, according to officials, everyone involved with the tournament was safely relocated to Hotel Pullman between 2 AM and 3 AM. Although the fire was brought under control quickly and didn’t pose a major threat, organizers decided to delay the event by a day as a precaution.

“Close to midnight, the entire hotel became smoky and everyone had to evacuate. Initially, there was some confusion, but once it became clear that smoke clearing would take hours, the organizers acted quickly,” ChessBase India reported on X.

The Chennai Grand Masters is one of India’s top classical chess tournaments, featuring 20 elite players and a Rs 1 crore prize pool. It also offers valuable FIDE Circuit points that could play a crucial role in qualifying for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.

With the situation now under control and all safety checks completed at the new venue, the tournament will now begin on August 8 instead of the originally planned August 7.

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